


Be Bold

by RedVelvetKitty



Category: Persona 5
Genre: Akira x Ann, Ann just being a dork, Deviates From Canon, F/M, First Dates, First Kiss, Flirting, Fluff, Ren with max charm, Ren x Ann, RenAnn, ShuAnn, Slice of Life, Teasing, Teen Romance, akirann
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-20
Updated: 2019-01-20
Packaged: 2019-10-13 09:39:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,752
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17485733
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RedVelvetKitty/pseuds/RedVelvetKitty
Summary: Is he interested? Or, is he not? Well, there's only one way for her to find out. [Ren/Akira x Ann]





	Be Bold

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! Blackwings here again with another ShuAnn one-shot :) Phew. Took me a while to work on this because of life, haha.
> 
> So anyways, a little bit on the background here: it does deviate from canon a bit. This takes place during fall rather than summer where one of the events with Ann occurred. I don’t want to spoil too much here, but you’ll see as you read.
> 
> And for the sake of simplicity, Morgana is out doing his own thing rather than accompanying Ren with Ann here. 
> 
> I’m not sure where Ann really lives (I don’t think it was ever explained in the game), so I just sort of just picked a neighborhood in a city close to Inokashira Park. 
> 
> Anyways, without further ado…

Somewhere in the quiet residential streets of Kichijoji, a lone teenage girl with hair full of soft golden waves sat on her bed in a deep muse, pondering over what she thought was a risky decision late at night.

“To ask? Or not to ask?” she wondered out loud, looking down at her phone as she mulled it over, thumbs hovering right over the keypad on her screen.

 _“Show him some interest, Ann.”_ Her best friend’s voice from an earlier phone conversation reverberated in her mind—a rather innocent discussion regarding a certain bespectacled shaggy-haired friend whom Ann could never shut up about. “ _Tell him how you feel. Otherwise, he won’t do anything and move on.”_

His name was Amamiya Ren, and Ann definitely had it bad for him.

 _Very_ bad.

“Ugh!!! But, I _do_ show interest, Shiho!” The conflicted blonde fired out suddenly, practically debating with the illusory voice in her head. “He just doesn’t pay attention!”

...

Well, okay. Sometimes she showed some interest. _Sometimes._

Ann sighed, sinking down into the mattress as her azure eyes fixed intently on the white ceiling above.

“Does it really seem that I’m not interested in him?” she thought out loud again, now contemplating over it for a moment. But... how could that be? She’s thrown _some_ hints time to time: encouraging him often, praising him often, messaging him often, choosing him for homework and studying (partly as an excuse to be around him, of course), choosing his hotel room that one time in Hawaii when she got locked out of hers...

Exactly! He should just pay attention more, dammit!

...

But then again, how’s he supposed to read her mind? Because she definitely couldn’t read his. 

Well, if he’s _so_ interested in her as Shiho said, why hasn’t _he_ made the first move yet? Besides, isn’t it usually the guy that does that sort of thing? At least that’s what she thought based on what she'd seen in the movies and TV shows. But, Ann wouldn’t know—she never really dated anyone before.

Or... maybe he’s actually _not_ interested?

 _“No... You’re just clueless,”_ Shiho had told Ann. _“It’s so obvious Amamiya-kun likes you, Ann! I don’t know him that well, but I noticed it when we were all on the rooftop that day. I even noticed it on those days he came with you to visit me at the hospital.”_

But, how could she be so sure? 

_“You just don’t respond to his cues very well...”_

Wait _._ What? What cues?

“ _Sometimes it even seems like you’re just brushing him off whenever he tries.”_

Oh, come on. How was Ann supposed to know _whenever_ he tried? If anything, Ren treated all his friends the same, including the girls—or, at least it seemed. Since when had he ever treated _her_ as the exception? 

Though, there _was_ that time when Makoto brought something interesting to Ann’s attention a while back.

_“By the way, Ann... I couldn’t help but notice—you and Ren seem to interact quite a bit during our meetings. Is there something going on between you two?”_

_“What do you mean, Makoto?”_

_“Well, I’ve noticed it a few times when we all meet up. It seems that you two text each other quite a bit. I see the looks you two exchange during your private messaging sessions.”_

Yeah. But it’s only exchange amongst two friends, Ann would argue... or, should’ve argued.

_“I’m sorry, Ann. I didn’t mean to pry. I was just really curious because it struck me as odd in a way. He doesn’t do that with anyone else in the room—it seems he only does that with you.”_

Now, that’s just silly. Makoto was probably looking into it too much. She tended to do that quite a bit.

Or... was she?

Alright. So maybe Ren conversed with Ann a little more often than the others and vice versa. But, it could also be that—aside from Ryuji—she was one of the first he befriended at Shujin, and was thus a bit closer to her than the others. Ann too felt very close to him, as he was one of the few people she was the most comfortable with, and someone she could rely on whenever in a pinch...

_“You’re just going to listen?”_

Because he’s defiant in the face of injustice.

_“She’ll be great.”_

Because he believed in her.

_“I want you to rely on me.”_

Because he’s honest and reliable.

During the whole ordeal with Kamoshida, Ren was the only one who came to her aid when no one else would. Since then, he never stopped being there for her. He told her to rely on him; she confided in him. He listened to her troubles; she felt validated. He tended to her when she cried; she regained the strength to move and carry on.

_“...You have me.”_

He told her she had him; she never felt alone— _ever_ again.

...

Maybe Shiho and Makoto had a point?

Ann growled, ruffling her hair. How was she to be sure that Ren was _actually_ interested in her, and not just being a nice guy? One just can’t assume these things without proof, right?

Well, there was only one way to find out...

 **Hey. Are you still awake?** she typed on her screen, shooting Ren the message. There wasn’t an immediate response at first, and since it was already nine o’ clock at night, she didn’t expect a reply so soon—or at all for that matter. If anything, Morgana probably had him in bed by now.

The chime from her phone interrupted her train of thought. When she saw the name of her sender on the screen, she immediately sprung up in bed like a firing catapult.

 

**Ren: Yeah. What’s up?**

 

Ann paused for a moment, trying to figure out how to go about this.

 

**Ann: Umm...**

**Ann: I was just wondering...**

**Ann: Do you have any plans tomorrow?**

 

As she waited for his reply, heart beats palpitated unsteadily in her chest, a feeling that made her wonder if this was really a good idea. 

 

**Ren: Not really.**

**Ren: Why? Stuck on a word problem? Haha XD**

**Ann: No. It’s not that.**

**Ren: ??**

 

Her cheeks burned, the heat beginning to spread all over her face and body.

 _Come on, girl—be bold!_ she tried calming herself. _Show him you’re interested!_

Maybe she could slide around this a bit. It wasn’t like she had to straight out say that this was intended to be a date. Keep it simple—let him come up with his own imagination and fill in the blanks.

 _And besides,_ she also added, _this is also a perfect opportunity to see if he’s really interested in me as Shiho thinks._

Testing Shiho’s speculations certainly wouldn’t hurt, right? And what’s the worst he could say—no?

 

**Ann: Let’s go out somewhere together!**

**Ann: You know... to get our mind off things :D**  

 

Ann’s grip on the phone trembled, her nervous breaths doubling with her pounding heart when she saw the three dots pop out by his name—indicating he was typing out a response. Never once had she felt so trepidatious in her life until now.

 

**Ren: Sure :)**

**Ren: What did you have in mind???**

 

Nailed it! Smooth, Ann. Very smooth. The blonde simpered, looking satisfied with herself as she did a little victory dance in her head. Now, to figure out a setting—where should they go? What should they do? Food? Amusement park? Art museum? Perhaps something casual and simple?

And then, a bulb lit.

 

**Ann: How’s going to the movies sound? I’m curious about the new Fall releases.**

 

Indeed. She had been wanting to see some of them for a while now, and there was one in particular she had in mind.

 

**Ann: Everyone’s talking about that chick flick “Love Possibly”!**

**Ann: I get kind of weepy, so it’s embarrassing to go alone...**

**Ann: Can you come watch it with me?**

 

She hoped that it didn’t sound too weird, but it should be okay, right? Sure, the movies might be a bit cliché, and may not allow for much interaction during the screenplay, but that didn’t mean there weren’t any opportunities before and after the movie—other activities could also be good for those transition times.

…Wait.

Her eyes widened in horror as she dropped the phone on the mattress. _But, wait! Out of all the movie selections, I chose the most cheesiest one!_ She cringed, palming her face. _Oh, shoot. What if he thinks— Ah! Stupid, Ann! Stupid! Stupid!! There’s no way he’d agree to watch something like—”_

Her phone chimed once more. Ann hesitated for a moment, before reluctantly picking it up to see his response.

 

**Ren: Sure. Let’s go :)**

 

What!? He agreed to it!? Perfect! She squealed, pumping a fist in the air before typing out her jubilant response.

 

 **Ann: Yay! (** **＾▽＾** **)**

**Ann: All right, let’s meet in front of the movie theater in Shibuya.**

**Ann: Let’s go for the 2 pm one?**

**Ren: Sounds good. I’ll see you there (´** **･** **ᴗ** **･** **` )**

**Ren: Well, I’m gonna sleep now. It’s pretty late.**

**Ren: Get some sleep too, ok? :)**

**Ren: Night, Ann (** **－** **ω** **－** **) zzZ**

 

Her heart skipped as a light blush tinted her cheeks once more. A giddy smile crept across her lips while typing her response back. 

 

**Ann: Ok.**

**Ann: Goodnight, Ren...**

**Ann: Sweet dreams (** **＠** ＾◡＾ **)**

  
****

* * *

Ann stood out in front of the theater entrance, clutching the straps of her purse around her left shoulder. It took nearly two hours for her to get ready, fretting over trivial things such as what clothes to wear and how to do her make-up, whether to tie her hair up in pigtails or just leave it down. In the end, she settled for a lavender blue button-up shirt under her red and white jersey jacket, a white skirt over some black leggings, and some red Converse shoes—an attire which Ren had seen before, the exception being that her hair was down this time rather than being up in those usual giant pigtails. She was always told that she looked much prettier with her hair down, and it was always nice to occasionally change things up a bit, especially since this was her first date. She could only hope that he’d be impressed with the new look—even by a little.

Yet... Ren still wasn’t there.

She pulled out her phone to look at the time—13:55. The movie was going to start in five minutes! What was taking him so long? Did something happen? Did he get hurt?

Now worried, Ann shot him a text asking his whereabouts, wondering if he was okay. Hopefully, everything was alright. Perhaps the trains were delayed for a bit and he’d be nearby soon...

Or... did he possibly change his mind?

Great... Fantastic. Her first date, and she was already stood up. Seriously? What the hell?

 _Positive thoughts, Ann..._ she told herself, taking a deep breath. _Keep smiling, he’ll come soon. Probably just got caught up in the large Tokyo crowds._

And then three minutes later, he still wasn’t there.

Ann let out a long sigh, her downtrodden eyes averting to the ground.

_Maybe he did change his mind..._

“Hey,” a familiar voice broke her out of her thoughts, immediately prompting her head up to see who it was.

“Ren!” she said, her frown instantly turning upside down into a bright smile. “You’re here!”

“Sorry,” he apologized, trying to catch his breath as he crouched over for a moment. “Barely made it on time. Sakura-san wouldn’t let me go without helping him with the dishes. I hope I didn’t worry you too much.”

Ann chuckled and shook her head, just relieved that he was there in one piece. “It’s fine. Come on,” she cued him with a friendly smile, head pointing toward the entrance. “The movie’s about to start.”

 

* * *

  

The rows in the screen room were decently filled, and both Ren and Ann were lucky enough to sit in one that was fairly spacious. Though at the same time for Ann, it was nerve-wrecking—watching a chick flick with the boy she liked in the dark, sitting close enough for their shoulders to touch. A few times his arm brushed up against hers on the armrest—always causing her heart to flutter out of control.

The hardest part was when they reached to the climax of the film, when the story hit a huge emotional peak. Ann fought hard against the overpowering emotions building up within, her dainty little fingers grasping onto her nose and mouth.

 

**_“Help her! Please, help her!!!”_ **

 

Her eyes watered up at the man’s desperate pleas on screen.

 

 **_“I don’t care about the money or my social status! Please_ ** **_—_ ** **_I just need... to tell her how I feel!”_ **

 

And there they come: one drop, two, then three. Not too long, and the dreaded tears came down like a heavy waterfall. 

 _Oh, dammit!_ She choked up, screwing her eyes shut. _I can’t believe I’m actually doing this right now. So embarrassing!_

She felt a light tap on her left shoulder. When she turned to look, she saw Ren holding out a small pack of Kleenex tissues to her, as if he already anticipated the waterworks by the way his smile curled on those fine lips.

“Here,” he said.

“Thanks...” Ann took it gratefully, wiping her nose with a tissue she pulled out. It was a good thing the room was dark—the last thing she’d want him to see was her ugly weepy face.

 

* * *

 

“Ohh... I used up two packs of pocket tissues…” Ann said as she walked out of the screen room with Ren, eyes swollen from her long weeping fest. She sniffed, a small nervous laugh following afterward. “…I guess girls like me want that perfect, romantic kind of love you see in the movies.”

“Nothing wrong with that,” Ren replied with a friendly smile. “I get you.”

"Thanks for going along with it though,” she said, suddenly stopping in her tracks to look at him. “That movie really wasn’t geared toward guys at all, huh?”

He chuckled, sliding his hands in his denim pockets. “I don’t mind. It was a bit cheesy at some points, but overall, I thought it was a good movie.”

“I agree. But, anyways… I’m really glad you came with me. You’re…” Ann trailed off, a small blush tinting her cheeks.

“Hm?” Ren bobbed his head to the side.

Her eyes flickered back and forth, trying to figure out what to say. _Shoot! What am I supposed to say after that!?_

“Ann?”

_Ugh! Come on, Ann!_

“You’re, um…” The blonde bit her lip and stared off to the side for a brief moment, then looked back at him, forcing a huge smile...

“You’re such a good friend!!!” she blurted out, the words practically rushing out unabashed.

And then... silence—silence that may have lingered on for what seemed too long. Ren quirked a brow, his mien giving off a rather skeptic front.

“I see…” he said in a rather quiet manner. Deciding not to press it further, he simply nodded it off with a small smile. “Well, I’m glad you asked me to accompany you today. It really is taking some pressure off.”

Ann kicked herself in the head. What was she thinking? Could she have said anything more ludicrous than that? This was supposed to be a date, for Christ’s sake!

“Y-Yeah,” she ruefully responded, wanting to run somewhere far and hide in shame.

“Oh, and by the way...” He took a few steps towards her, leaning forward and closing some distance between them. Brushing her soft locks with his fingers, he said, “You look very pretty today...” His dark silver eyes slowly traced down her pretty little face, stopping over her glossy pouty lips for a mere second before looking back at her. “... _Ann_.”

The deep and mellow way he said her name sent shivers down her spine.

He let out a faint chuckle, stepping back. “Just wanted to let you know—as your _friend_.” The way he emphasized ‘friend’ knocked her off coarse a bit, a hint of mockery despite the sweetness in his tone and smile. “That’s what friends do, right?” He turned, walking on ahead. “Well, it’s a bit crowded in here. We should probably get going, yeah?”

Ann stood still for a moment, feeling hot as she tried making sense of that comment. Was that sarcasm?

Well, at least it was safe to say that he’s paying attention.

 

* * *

 

After the movies, Ren and Ann spent more time together at the diner in Shibuya until the late afternoon neared its end. Once evening began, they strolled down to Inokashira Park, talking nonstop over various topics from school, to hobbies, to poking fun at the team (mainly Ryuji), to discussions about their childhood, and the list went on and on.

At some point, they stopped around the lake, taking in the tranquil scenery while idling on the wooden rail surrounding it. It had been a while since the last time they came here together, the last time being when they stopped by shortly after their study session for last month’s mid-terms. Ann always liked coming here to kill time, as it was serene enough to clear her mind and reflect on things. With Ren, it was even better, since she had someone enjoyable to enjoy the view with.

While Ren continued relishing the sight, Ann spotted a couple further out on the path ahead of them, stopping for a quick peck on the lips before resuming their evening stroll, which had Ann wondering:

_Hmm... Do people kiss on the first date?_

Maybe. If it went really well. And, maybe... if the two really _really_ liked each other. But, there was no way that’s happening today, especially after that little slip up in the theater—so many affinity points were probably lost after that.

But, that didn’t mean she couldn’t daydream about it.

So many ways that could lead to it. So many ways it could go. Just thinking about it was enough to melt her, make her super giddy and bubbly inside. And who could blame her? Ren had that charm that was very swooning, that kind of charm she couldn’t resist even if she tried.

She definitely had it bad for him. She really did. Everything about Ren, his perks, his charms—just simply him—captivated her. She couldn’t stop even if she tried.

 _One kiss... Just one kiss..._ she thought in a little trance, her eyes fixating on those fine, tempting lips. She lightly pressed her lips with a finger, thinking to herself:

_Hmm... What would that feel like?_

Ann wouldn’t know—she’s never been kissed before.

But, what about him? Had he ever kissed anyone before?

“Say, Ren...” Ann began, “Can I ask you something?”

“Hm?” He turned to look at her, head slightly bobbing to the side.

“Uh, well… this might be out of nowhere,” she said, shyly twirling a lock of hair around her finger. But she couldn’t help but wonder now. “...So don’t freak out. I’m just curious...”

“What is it?”

Ann looked down at her lap, now fumbling with her hands.

“Have you...” she paused, “...ever kissed anyone before?”

Ren didn’t say anything at first, adding to her skittish nerves as her right foot idly traced the ground. He didn’t even flinch at the question either, as if it unfazed him. Maybe he didn’t hear her?

“Hmm...” he finally responded, looking out in the distance again, “That is a bit out of nowhere.”

Oh. So he _did_ hear.

The blonde stiffened now, hands clasping tight over her lap. “Y-Yeah. I-I know. B-But, I-I... umm...” she stuttered, trying to come up with any reason that seemed believable, “Err... I-I w-was just thinking about that movie we saw earlier and suddenly the question came to mind, haha!”

Well, so much for believable. Not only did Ann suck at acting, she was a horrible liar too.

“Is that so...?” he replied, seemingly unmoved.

There was a moment of awkward silence. The longer the silence went, the more helplessly unsettled Ann felt. Perhaps she shouldn’t have asked. Was she making it obvious? Oh, god. _Was_ she?

He readjusted his glasses, finally looking back at her.

“Yeah... I have,” he finally answered, “Few times with a girl I dated for a while before I came to Tokyo.”

Somehow, Ann wasn’t surprised.

“Oh! Haha! Kinda figured that...” Ann laughed nervously, sheepishly rubbing the back of her head.

He quirked a brow, uncertain whether she meant that in a good way or not. “Eh? What’s that supposed to mean?”

“W-Well... I mean, you’re not a bad looking guy. Some might even say you’re cute, in a nerdy way...” she said, murmuring that last part with a blush. “...So, in a way, I’m kinda not surprised.”

“Cute? In a nerdy way?” he repeated, looking at her inquisitively.

“Your glasses make you look nerdy. And—well—there are plenty of girls who like that sort of thing.” She giggled. “You usually being quiet is another too—adds a little mystery to you, hehe!”

“Oh?” He smirked, leaning a little closer to her. “Well, then... Is that the kind of ‘thing’ _you_ like in a guy?”

“WHAT!?” she squeaked as she flinched back, her whole face exploding red like a volcanic eruption. “Where did— What—!? Why…Why would you even ask such a thing!?”

“Haha! Why are you getting so flustered? It was just a simple question,” he said, poking at her cheeks. “But anyways, since I answered my portion, how about you?”

“H-Huh?”

“Have _you_ ever kissed someone?”

“O-Oh...” said Ann, her gaze shifting downward toward her purse. She reached in below for a box of strawberry pocky, something she had bought earlier on the way to the theaters. “Well, uhh... No. I haven’t.”

“Really?” Ren looked surprised. “Not even a boyfriend?”

She nodded, opening the box and tearing the wrapper inside. “Pretty much.”

“Hmm...” he mused, rubbing his chin, “Interesting...”

Ann shot a glare at him. “What’s that supposed to mean!?”

“I’m just surprised someone perky and pretty as you hasn’t had one boyfriend yet, nor one single kiss,” he said, smirking when he saw another blush form on her cheeks.

Ann pulled the pink-coated biscuit stick out. “Y-Yeah, well...” she began, plopping it in her mouth. “It’s not like it’s a big deal or anything… Most guys who’re interested just see me for my looks anyways,” she said, nibbling down the sweet treat.

“What? Is it a crime to think you’re attractive?”

“Huh? N-No, it’s not that. It is flattering—when it’s not creepy, of course. But, I don’t want to be liked for just that, you know? I’d just rather be with someone who sees beyond my looks and likes me for me...”

“I see...”

“But...” Ann pressed her lips with a finger, looking up at the dusky orange sky. “...I’m not gonna lie. I do sometimes wonder what a kiss would be like.”

“Hmm...” he mused again, sitting up straight. He studied her for a moment, simply watching her munch away on her pocky sticks like a little rabbit.

And then, with a sly smile on his face, he said:

“Well.... Want me to give you one so you’ll find out?”

She nearly choked on the fourth stick.

“W-What—!?” she coughed a violent storm, giving her chest a few whacks, “W-What are you—” she coughed again, “—talking about!? Don’t joke around like that!!”

His expression never changed. “I’m not joking.”

“E-Ehh!?!? C-Come on, Ren!!! I’m serious!” she warned, cheeks on fire. “No really... Seriously!! C-Cut it out!!!”

“I _am_ serious,” he restated, the corner of his smile tugging upward. “Very _very_ serious.”

“W-Why would you...?”

Slowly, he slid closer, practically making her heart go into a massive seizure.

“Who knows? It could be many things... Maybe I’m bored? Maybe I want to tease you? Or, maybe...” he stopped, removing his glasses before leaning forward...

“Maybe... I _want_ to kiss you.”

Her breath hitched and—for a brief moment—her frenzied heart stopped as his unshielded eyes gazed deep into hers. The way he said it in that deep husky tone, teasing yet sinfully seductive in a strange subtle way, gave her stomach butterflies.

“W-What...? What do you... What do you mean by that?” she asked, struggling to form a coherent sentence.

He moved in another inch––his lips now merely centimeters away from meeting hers .

“I’ll leave it to your imagination.”

The way his eyes locked on hers rendered her motionless, the air becoming thick and suffocating through the deafening silence. Ann could practically hear her own heart thumping in her ears as she felt the warm wisps of his breath tickle her lips, her head now spinning like crazy.He was definitely more handsome without his glasses—the baring of those silver eyes accentuating the intensity of his fervent gaze. It made him appear more daring, confident, and... sexy—especially when he’s so close like this.

Eventually, he broke the intense silence with a soft chuckle, taking a pocky stick from the box she held as he moved away, lengthening the distance between them once more.

“Anyways, it’s getting late,” Ren said, donning his glasses. “Shall we head back?”

“Y-Yeah,” she replied quietly, staring back down at her lap for a second before standing up and heading onward with him. Somehow, she felt a little disappointed.

 _Such a tease..._ Ann huffed as she nipped at another pocky, nipping at it in a rather sulky way as she strolled alongside him.

 

* * *

 

“Well, here we are.” Ann stood in front of the iron walk gate of her residence—a modern home with cream-colored walls and a gable rooftop of clay tiles. It had a slight resemblance to a Spanish Mission style home in the West, something not usually seen in the residential parts of the neighborhood. 

Opening the gate, she lead him to her porch, stopping right at the front door. “Thanks for everything today, Ren,” she thanked him, smiling wide in delight. “I had a good time.”

“I’m glad to hear that.” He smiled back at her, pocketing his hands. “I had a good time too.”

Ann’s heart dropped. At this point, she knew their time together would end very soon, something she’d been dreading the moment they began their walk from the park.

 _Should I tell him how I feel?_ she asked herself, wondering what would be the best way to end their date. _Isn’t that what you’re supposed to do after a date that went well?_

_“Show him some interest, Ann. Tell him how you feel.”_

_To tell? Or not to tell?_ she wondered, looking down at the ground as she mulled it over, her mind hovering over the possible choices.

“ _Otherwise, he won’t do anything and move on.”_

The blonde swallowed, finally reaching a firm resolve.

“Y-You know, Ren...” Ann began, shy eyes averting downward as she rubbed her arm in a rather ginger way.

“Hm?”

Her heart pounded harder and harder, beats doubling speed.

“I-I just wanted to say...”

“ _It’s so obvious Amamiya-kun likes you, Ann!”_  

“I just wanted to say... that I, um...”

“Yes?”

She took in a deep breath, ready to go for it until...

 _“You look very pretty today..._ **_Ann_** _.”_

His voice in her head stopped her.

 _“Just wanted to let you know—as your_ **_friend._ ** _”_

Ann shook her head vehemently, suddenly changing her mind. “N-Nothing!!”

“What?” he said, raising a curious brow.

“It’s nothing!” she repeated, now digging for her keys in her purse. “Never mind! It's not—”

Ren grabbed her forearm from the handbag, immediately stopping the anxious blonde.

“Come on,” he persisted, looking at her with a slight peeved expression. “Don’t start something and then bail out midway.”

She felt butterflies in her stomach, knowing he wasn’t going to let this go so easily. But since she lost all courage, it was almost impossible now. In the end, she still wasn’t ready to let him know after all...

So instead, she went for the subtle route: Keep it simple—let him come up with his own imagination and fill in the blanks. 

“I... really like spending time with you...” she finally told him, her voice quiet and soft. A small meek smile crept over her lips. “I like it a lot— Being with you.”

Ren said nothing to that, much to her chagrin.

Did she screw up again?

Her head shot up, hands practically convulsing in the air. “I-I mean!! What I meant to say is that you’re so cool and fun to be around!!! I... I get so excited when I’m around you!!!” she spoke out without thinking, immediately regretting her selection of words when the realization hit like lightning. “NO!!! I-I mean—Ahh!!! That’s so NOT what I meant!!! Oh god!!!! What am I saying!?” Desperately, the blonde dug in her purse again for her house keys, letting out a nervous laugh. “A-Anyways... Where did I put those darn keys? Which pockets did I put them in? Gosh! I should just pick one pocket for them so I don’t lose them all the time. Don’t you think? Hahaha!!!”

“You’re awfully skittish all of a sudden,” he noted with amusement, a smug smile plastered right on his face.

“I’m not skittish!” she squeaked, glaring daggers at him. “Why would I be skittish!?”

“I don’t know. _You_ tell me.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about!!!”

“So...” Ren took a step closer to her, lowering himself at eye level with her. “I get you _excited_ , huh?” His tone was low and teasing, especially at the way he said ‘excited’.

“D-Don’t be ridiculous!!!!” she squeaked, red as a beet. “A-And stop looking at me like that!!!!”

He leaned in closer, nose almost pecking hers when he said, “But, you’re so cute. I just can’t help it.”

She flinched back, feeling like her whole chest would burst any second. “R-Ren!!!”

Ren laughed, rising up. “Hahaha! Oh, Ann... I’m just messing with you. Calm down.”

The flustered blonde huffed a pout, resuming back to digging around for her keys until she got sidetracked by the pocky box in her bag.

“Oh!” She pulled it out, shaking it a bit. “Almost forgot! There’s one more—”

And just as she was about to take the last strawberry pocky, it was snatched in a flash.

“Hah! Last one’s mine!” Ren called out triumphantly, sticking his tongue out like a misbehaved child.

“Hey!” Ann pouted, incessantly reaching for the pocky from his grasp to no avail, “No fair, Ren! Give it back!!!”

“First come, first serve...” the pocky thief teased, flaunting the biscuit stick right at her face.

“Oh, come on! Please? Just half and I’ll leave you alone— I promise!!”

“Just half? Hmm...” he mused, contemplating on something before giving in to her pleas. “...Heh. Alright, alright. Fine. I’ll share with you. Here.” He smirked, splitting the pocky in half and plopping a piece right into her mouth.

Ann beamed like an elated child, her azure eyes glimmering bright. “Thanks, Ren! Yewurr da best!!” she uttered out, the sweet treat dangling from her mouth with each word. 

“But... on one condition,” he said, prompting her to stop and stare at him with a puzzled look on her face.

“Whaat?” she asked as he stepped closer, part of the pocky piece still protruding from her mouth.

“Hold still.”

Cupping one hand to her cheek, he leaned forward, slightly parted lips pressing against hers. A strong, sole beat walloped in her chest. Ann’s grip on the pocky immediately weakened, eyes widening as she registered his presence: the feeling of his smooth lips—his tousled strands of raven hair brushing against her face—his subtle espresso scent—the intimate closeness of him. The whole world around her spun, her body going limp as his other hand gently laid on the area between her neck and shoulder.

They remained like this for a moment until Ren pressed against her mouth further, snapping the small pocky piece between her lips and pulling it into his own mouth.

He stood up straight, looking at her for a moment before finishing up the rest of the pocky in his mouth.

“Yours had more strawberry,” he said after swallowing, giving her a roguish smile.

She didn’t say anything, spaced out as she slowly consumed the remaining sweet biscuit stick in her mouth, trying to process the whole situation in her head.

“Here.” Ren plopped the other pocky half he held in her mouth, making her flinch a bit. “You can have the rest. I already got what I wanted.”

Ann’s eyes widened.

He slid his hands in his pockets again. “You wanted to go to the planetarium in Ikebukuro, right?”

It took her a while to respond, but when she did, she only replied with a small nod.

“Then, let’s go together whenever you’re free,” he told her, his smile softening. “I’ll take you there.”

“O-Okay,” she replied, her mind still in a daze.

Ren chuckled, giving her a small pat on the head. “Alright then, let me know,” he said, turning around. “See you tomorrow, Ann.”

With that said, he went on his way, the distance between them lengthening until he was nowhere seen. Ann just stood dumbfounded, trying to make sense of it all…

_“Well, then.... want me to give you one so you’ll find out?”_

“H-He actually kissed me...” Ann touched her lips with a finger, butterflies fluttering in her stomach again. “M-My first kiss...”

_“You wanted to go to the planetarium in Ikebukuro, right?”_

She stared down at her purse for a moment, inattentively grabbing her keys as she continued processing everything in her mind.

_“Then, let’s go together whenever you’re free... I’ll take you there.”_

A tiny smile snuck across her lips as she unlocked the door, shutting it behind her, kicking off her shoes before making her way up the staircase to her room. After setting her purse on the chair by her work desk, she flopped down into bed, the white ceiling in her view as she laid splayed out over the soft mattress.

Pressing her lips again, thoughts of him filled her mind. His tousled raven hair. His gorgeous silver eyes. His deep and sultry voice. His subtle espresso scent. His alluring smile… At this point, she was practically on cloud nine.

She continued smiling like the dorky dork she was, letting out a dreamy sigh.

Turned out, he was interested all along.

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> It’s definitely not my greatest, but hopefully I’ll come up with more ideas for these two in the future. Plus, there's a ShuAnn week coming this July, even more of a reason to write more of them :D
> 
> Anyways, thanks for reading! Feel free to leave a comment if you liked it. Criticism is also appreciated too.
> 
> Blackwings


End file.
